Toilet seat device and toilet seat apparatus having the same

Abstract

Provided are a toilet seat device saving energy and accurately stabilizing the temperature of a seating section at a predetermined level in a short time, and a toilet apparatus having the same. A control section adjusts the temperature of a toilet seat section to 18° C. when a heating function is turned on, and during a standby period D 1 , the control section performs low electric power drive of a lamp heater provided at the toilet seat section. The control section starts 600 W drive of the lamp heater at time t 1 after the control section detects user's entry into a room, and the control section maintains the 600 W drive during an inrush current reduction period D 2 . The control section starts 1200 W drive of the lamp heater at time t 2 and maintains the 1200 W drive during a first temperature rise period D 3 . After the temperature of the seating section reaches limit temperature, the control section starts 600 W drive of the lamp heater at time t 3 and maintains the 600 W drive during a second temperature rise period D 4 . After the temperature of the seating section reaches a temperature higher than a toilet seat set temperature, the control section starts low electric power drive of the lamp heater at time t 4.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A toilet seat device comprising:
 a toilet seat section; 
 a heating element for heating the toilet seat section; 
 a human body sensing section for detecting a user; and 
 a control section for controlling the heating element to be driven, 
 wherein, when the human body sensing section detects a user, the control section drives the heating element during a first time period so as to increase temperature of the toilet seat section to first temperature along a first temperature gradient with first electric power, and then the control section drives the heating element during a second time period so as to increase temperature of the toilet seat section to second temperature, which is higher than the first temperature, along a second temperature gradient, with second electric power which is lower than the first electric power. 
 
     
     
       2. The toilet seat device according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a toilet seat temperature measuring device for measuring the temperature of the toilet seat section; and 
 a memory section for storing correspondence relationship between the first and second time periods and the temperature measured by the toilet seat temperature measuring device, 
 wherein, when the human body sensing section detects a user, the control section reads out the corresponding first and second time periods from the memory section on the basis of the temperature measured by the toilet seat temperature measuring device, and the control section drives the heating element on the basis of the first and second time periods. 
 
     
     
       3. The toilet seat device according to  claim 2 , wherein the control section drives the heating element with the second electric power when the temperature measured by the toilet seat temperature measuring device reaches a predetermined third temperature, before the elapse of first time period. 
     
     
       4. The toilet seat device according to  claim 1 , wherein the control section drives the heating element with the first electric power by applying alternating current throughout entire cycle periods, and the control section drives the heating element with the second electric power by applying alternating current throughout a predetermined number of half cycle periods. 
     
     
       5. The toilet seat device according to  claim 2 , wherein the control section drives the heating element with third electric power, which is lower than the first and second electric powers, so as to constantly maintain the temperature of the toilet seat section at the second temperature, after the elapse of second time period. 
     
     
       6. The toilet seat device according to  claim 5 , wherein the control section drives the heating element with the third electric power when the temperature measured by the toilet seat temperature measuring device reaches a predetermined fourth temperature, before the elapse of second time period. 
     
     
       7. The toilet seat device according to  claim 5 , wherein the control section drives the heating element with third electric power by applying alternating current throughout a predetermined number of quarter or less cycle periods. 
     
     
       8. The toilet seat device according to  claim 1 , wherein the control section drives the heating element with electric power, which is lower than the first electric power, immediately before driving the heating element with the first electric power. 
     
     
       9. The toilet seat device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a seating sensing section for detecting user's seating state on the toilet seat section,
 wherein the control section drives the heating element so as to decrease the temperature of the toilet seat section when the seating sensing section detects user's seating on the toilet seat section. 
 
     
     
       10. The toilet seat device according to  claim 1 , wherein the second temperature is the temperature, which is previously set by a user, of the toilet seat section, and the control section drives the heating element so as to increase the temperature of the toilet seat section higher than the second temperature at the time of user's seating on the toilet seat section. 
     
     
       11. The toilet seat device according to  claim 1 , wherein the toilet seat section is made of aluminum. 
     
     
       12. The toilet seat device according to  claim 1 , wherein the heating element is a lamp heater. 
     
     
       13. A toilet apparatus comprising:
 a toilet bowl; and 
 
       the toilet seat device according to  claim 1 .